3 Tips for Maintaining Oral Health Over the Holidays

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Dr. Mal Braverman

Between sweet treats and jam-packed schedules, maintaining oral health over the holidays is tricky. However, with the following tips, you can keep your teeth and mouth healthy and strong.

Hide Your Treats

While it’s hard to keep treats completely out of your house during the holidays, you can minimize your consumption by simply covering up those snacks. Google realized its employees were eating a lot of free M&Ms left in the breakroom for snacking, so the company experimented with ways to reduce this trend. They found out that when the chocolates stayed hidden in opaque containers and healthy snacks were prominently displayed in glass containers, employees consumed 3.1?million fewer calories.

Brush After Snacking

If you do find yourself sneaking the occasional treat, it’s a good idea to brush after you eat. However, don’t brush right away. If you brush too soon after eating, the acid from food and drinks can actually wear down the enamel on your teeth even faster. Instead, wait one hour after eating to brush your teeth and give your saliva a chance to neutralize the acid in your mouth.

Stop Biting Your Nails

Stress around the holidays can really increase the desire to bite your nails. Not only can this bad habit harm your nails and skin, but it also makes it easier for viruses and bacteria to enter your body and can cause your teeth to weaken and lead to poor alignment. To help calm those nerves, try squeezing a stress ball or practicing deep breathing. Or, treat yourself to manicure. When your nails look attractive, you’re less likely to bite them. If none of that works, consider applying a bitter-tasting nail polish to keep you from biting.

From avoiding sweets to keeping up your oral health routine, these tips can help you maintain a healthier smile over the holidays.